The Beanie-fits of pets – how your pets help you heal

Haha! See what I did there?! Beanie-fits!

Hi! My name is Beanie. If you’ve come to Cedar Hill Physical Therapy, we may have had the pleasure of meeting. I’m the two-and-a-half-year-old two-tone canine family member.

The nice people at Burlington Animal Services hooked me up with Paul and Angie in the Fall of 2022. You see, I was a medical foster. I had been struck by a car and needed major hip surgery followed by extended kennel rest. With Paul and Angie’s care, I made a remarkable recovery. Through this healing process, the three of us bonded. A foster no more – I’m family!

I love being a part of the family here at Cedar Hill, and Paul and Angie are convinced that having me in their lives has a positive effect on their wellness. The always-there unconditional love of a dog (or a cat, rabbit, turtle, etc.) can’t be beat for lowering stress, fighting depression and generally improving your mood. That probably is part of why 66 percent of American households include pets. Wow!

There’s a ton of scientific research on this. Studies on the human health benefits of having pets are numerous and they point to evidence that the love of animals in our homes is a smart choice. Animal relationships consistently show benefits. (Here’s a good summary of the research.)

Animal companions help people feel less isolated. One of my favorite parts of the day is getting to snuggle. I had no idea that my sweet nuzzles helped to reduce the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol can be a deterrent to physical therapy, by the way.

We animals also help people connect with other humans. Pets are an excellent and healthy social lubricant. Whether you’re posting your cat photos on Facebook or walking your dog in a public park, conversations start over the shared experience of pet life. Trust me, I get a lot of attention in public.

Cardiovascular disease in humans is a big problem. There’s been a lot of research that suggests pet owners have lower blood pressure and a lower risk of strokes. Even cholesterol levels may be improved through animal companionship. If you’ve had a cardiovascular incident, we can help you recover more quickly! Wow!

Guess what! Did you know that much of the cardio benefit of having animal friends is a result of stress reduction?! And mental health is another heavily studied aspect of pet parenting with research showing that stroking, grooming, and playing with dogs and cats is an emotional boost that, over time, has a net positive effect. Wow! Come by the clinic and pet me for overall good health and disease prevention. (Oops. Our attorneys say I can’t make that claim… but it’s true. Shhhh. Don’t tell them I told you.)

As physical therapy providers and speaking from personal experience, Paul and Angie encourage their patients to form close personal relationships with pets. It’s a good basis for over-all well-being that even supports the work they do, by ensuring a more relaxed and supportive environment in your home.

I’m happy to report that I’ve not only made a nearly 100 percent recovery from my hip injury that brought me to Paul and Angie, but I’m working on my prerequisites to become a therapy dog.

Let’s make that TRAINED therapy dog…because as a popular social media meme goes, “All dogs are therapy dogs, the majority of us are just freelancing.”

BTW Earlier this year, Paul wrote about the healing effect of including family in your physical therapy. This means pets, too!